Since the original iPhone was released four years ago, one of the most persistent rumors in tech news was that Apple would "soon" release a mini-version of the iPhone - an iPhone nano, if you will. As we all know, "soon" never came with regard to this mythical product. But we can at least finally confirm that the rumor wasn't altogether unfounded.
Thanks to a freshly unearthed patent discovered by our friends at Patently Apple, the Cupertino tech juggernaut had designs on the iPhone nano back in 2006 when this patent in question was filed. It should be noted, however, that the "iPhone nano" design didn't stand alone as a single patent, but rather was included in a much bigger patent that encompassed several designs and associated technologies.
"That last patent isn't about a specific phone design in the least and yet it may illustrate that an iPhone-nano like design was very much on the minds of Apple's engineers back in 2006," the report reads. "Is that idea now scrapped being that iPhone subsidies allow older models of full size iPhones to sell for only $99 – or is it a concept that's still on Apple's roadmap? Time will tell."
Although the report has once against raised suspicions about the possibility of an iPhone nano turning up at some point in the future, I wouldn't hold my breath. Even in emerging mobile markets today, bigger screens are the hottest commodity in smartphones. And given Apple's penchant for catering to the demands of today's savviest mobile consumers, I think its highly unlikely that Apple would invest time and money into a design that, for the most part, is already years out of date.
Source: Patent Apple
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